Sunday, November 04, 2007
SUNDAY, 4 NOV. 07-- SUNSET SAIL TO GATE AND BACK
On Saturday there was insufficient wind to do any sailing, so we stayed in port. For a while, it looked like the same would happen today, but along about 3 pm a nice freshening breeze came up, so we headed out for a late afternoon and sunset sail.
Winds were light over the land as we left port, and we hoped for some more freshening as the afternoon wore on.
As we entered the central bay, we began to see sailboats heading home, like this small one.....
... and this cutter with tanbark sails, named CHARISMA.
A small sailboat flying a small spinnaker was heading for us....
...and passed to port, with one of the crew leaning against the boom to keep
it from bouncing around in the light air.
As we continued toward the west on a southwest breeze, PAINKILLER, a 38' Beneteau, passed to starboard.
Off to port, a Catalina was passing the end of pier 39 where the flags were fluttering in a breeze of 5-7 knots.
This sailboat flying a cruising spinnaker that was luffing around for a while was approaching, and we took this short video clip of her as she passed to starboard.
The city was enjoying slightly hazy sunshine as we continued westward.
Alcatraz was less hazed out as we approached from the east.
ATHENA passed to port, sailing nicely downwind in a fresheneing breeze.
The breeze started to shift more into the west, so we tacked back toward the cityfront and soon were approached by this cutter rigged sailboat sailing more off the wind and on a collision course.....
... but as the windward boat, she fell off to give us right of way and passed astern of us, the crew enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine.
This sailboat, named BEAR BOAT, a Jenneau I think, was crossing the bay, heading toward Sausalito. We've seen this boat on the bay several times.
This small yellow-hulled sailboat was sailing down the cityfront, with the city behind enjoying the sunshine.
The Golden Gate Bridge was enjoying some hazy sunshine.
As we approached the cityfront near the Ft. Mason piers, we tacked back to the west again and this Hunter sailboat passed to port, heading east.
As we continued westward, another sailboat was crossing the bay from the north and passed right in front of us. We took this video clip as she approached, having starboard tack right of way, but we could see from her change in relative bearing that she would pass in front of us, i.e. we were not on a collision course.
Way off to starboard, between us and Angel Island, our old pal ADVENTURE CAT was headed out for a sunset sail.
Near the shore, a light yellow-hulled, center cockpit cutter was heading home
from the oceean-- I think her name is HASTY HEART--a boat that we have seen several times before.
KA HA E KAI was also heading home from the ocean.
The setting sun was reflecting off the north tower as we approached the gate.
ADVENTURE CAT was starting to catch up with us, and at this point was sailing across the gate behind us and taking on the color of the setting sun.
Due to the flood current, we had to tack a few times before we could sail out the gate just inside the north tower....
...as the sun was setting in the west.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside to watch the sundown and sunset through the gate as meanwhile ADVENTURE CAT was sailing out the gate and crossed between us and the setting sun.
We were inside the gate as the sun began to drop behind a thick fog bank quite a ways out on the ocean.
ADVENTURE CAT was heading back inside the gate as the sun sank further into the fog bank.
Surprisingly, there were still quite a few sailboats out on the bay on this Sunday late afternoon-- more than we usually see near sundown, but of course, the sun is now setting just after 5 pm, PST, and this Santana was one of them and passed to port.
Some pretty sunset colors developed in the western sky after sundown.
This Islander was heading for the cityfront as we continued eastward toward home port, and you can see a couple of other sailboats in the background also.
City lights were starting to brighten as dusk fell over the city-- MAGIC TIME ON THE BAY!!!!!!
Skies continued to darken as we sailed downwind toward our home port and city lights brightened on shore.
It was nearly dark as we approached pier 39...
... and behind us, some brilliant sunset oranges were filling the sky over the horizon.
We doused sail after passing the marina and then motored into port after readying ANTICIPATION for landing with fenders and docklines at the ready, landing near perfectly despite the flood current that sometimes bedevils us
as we are pulling into our slip. As you can tell from this log and the photos, we had a quite delightful couple of hours on our beautiful bay.
On Saturday there was insufficient wind to do any sailing, so we stayed in port. For a while, it looked like the same would happen today, but along about 3 pm a nice freshening breeze came up, so we headed out for a late afternoon and sunset sail.
Winds were light over the land as we left port, and we hoped for some more freshening as the afternoon wore on.
As we entered the central bay, we began to see sailboats heading home, like this small one.....
... and this cutter with tanbark sails, named CHARISMA.
A small sailboat flying a small spinnaker was heading for us....
...and passed to port, with one of the crew leaning against the boom to keep
it from bouncing around in the light air.
As we continued toward the west on a southwest breeze, PAINKILLER, a 38' Beneteau, passed to starboard.
Off to port, a Catalina was passing the end of pier 39 where the flags were fluttering in a breeze of 5-7 knots.
This sailboat flying a cruising spinnaker that was luffing around for a while was approaching, and we took this short video clip of her as she passed to starboard.
The city was enjoying slightly hazy sunshine as we continued westward.
Alcatraz was less hazed out as we approached from the east.
ATHENA passed to port, sailing nicely downwind in a fresheneing breeze.
The breeze started to shift more into the west, so we tacked back toward the cityfront and soon were approached by this cutter rigged sailboat sailing more off the wind and on a collision course.....
... but as the windward boat, she fell off to give us right of way and passed astern of us, the crew enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine.
This sailboat, named BEAR BOAT, a Jenneau I think, was crossing the bay, heading toward Sausalito. We've seen this boat on the bay several times.
This small yellow-hulled sailboat was sailing down the cityfront, with the city behind enjoying the sunshine.
The Golden Gate Bridge was enjoying some hazy sunshine.
As we approached the cityfront near the Ft. Mason piers, we tacked back to the west again and this Hunter sailboat passed to port, heading east.
As we continued westward, another sailboat was crossing the bay from the north and passed right in front of us. We took this video clip as she approached, having starboard tack right of way, but we could see from her change in relative bearing that she would pass in front of us, i.e. we were not on a collision course.
Way off to starboard, between us and Angel Island, our old pal ADVENTURE CAT was headed out for a sunset sail.
Near the shore, a light yellow-hulled, center cockpit cutter was heading home
from the oceean-- I think her name is HASTY HEART--a boat that we have seen several times before.
KA HA E KAI was also heading home from the ocean.
The setting sun was reflecting off the north tower as we approached the gate.
ADVENTURE CAT was starting to catch up with us, and at this point was sailing across the gate behind us and taking on the color of the setting sun.
Due to the flood current, we had to tack a few times before we could sail out the gate just inside the north tower....
...as the sun was setting in the west.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside to watch the sundown and sunset through the gate as meanwhile ADVENTURE CAT was sailing out the gate and crossed between us and the setting sun.
We were inside the gate as the sun began to drop behind a thick fog bank quite a ways out on the ocean.
ADVENTURE CAT was heading back inside the gate as the sun sank further into the fog bank.
Surprisingly, there were still quite a few sailboats out on the bay on this Sunday late afternoon-- more than we usually see near sundown, but of course, the sun is now setting just after 5 pm, PST, and this Santana was one of them and passed to port.
Some pretty sunset colors developed in the western sky after sundown.
This Islander was heading for the cityfront as we continued eastward toward home port, and you can see a couple of other sailboats in the background also.
City lights were starting to brighten as dusk fell over the city-- MAGIC TIME ON THE BAY!!!!!!
Skies continued to darken as we sailed downwind toward our home port and city lights brightened on shore.
It was nearly dark as we approached pier 39...
... and behind us, some brilliant sunset oranges were filling the sky over the horizon.
We doused sail after passing the marina and then motored into port after readying ANTICIPATION for landing with fenders and docklines at the ready, landing near perfectly despite the flood current that sometimes bedevils us
as we are pulling into our slip. As you can tell from this log and the photos, we had a quite delightful couple of hours on our beautiful bay.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:38 PM 
